# CVE-2026-72222: sunrpc: pin svc_xprt across the asynchronous TLS handshake callback

> A race condition in the Linux kernel's sunrpc TLS handshake allows use-after-free, potentially leading to code execution or denial of service on NFS servers.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 15 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 16 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-72222, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-72222, GHSA-6mfm-2hg9-7gww, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72222

## What is CVE-2026-72222?

CVE-2026-72222 is a critical use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 15 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

sunrpc: pin svc_xprt across the asynchronous TLS handshake callback

svc_tcp_handshake() stores the raw svc_xprt pointer in
tls_handshake_args.ta_data and submits the request through
tls_server_hello_x509(). The handshake core takes only
sock_hold(req->hr_sk); nothing references the embedding struct
svc_sock that svc_tcp_handshake_done() reaches via container_of().

Two close races leave the in-flight callback writing through a freed
svc_sock. svc_sock_free() calls tls_handshake_cancel() and discards
its return value: a false return means handshake_complete() has
already set HANDSHAKE_F_REQ_COMPLETED but hp_done() may not have
finished, yet svc_sock_free() proceeds to kfree(svsk). The
cancel-loser fall-through inside svc_tcp_handshake() itself produces
the same window: when wait_for_completion_interruptible_timeout()
returns <= 0 (timeout or signal) and tls_handshake_cancel() returns
false, the function does not drain, returns, and svc_handle_xprt()
calls svc_xprt_received(), which clears XPT_BUSY and can drop the
last reference. A concurrent close then runs svc_sock_free() while
svc_tcp_handshake_done() is still updating xpt_flags and walking
svsk->sk_handshake_done.

The corruption surfaces as set_bit/clear_bit RMW into the freed
xpt_flags slab slot and as complete_all() walking and writing the
freed wait_queue_head_t list embedded in sk_handshake_done -- a
slab-corruption primitive, not a benign read. The path is reachable
on any TLS-enabled NFS server whenever a connection close overlaps
the tlshd downcall delivery window; the interruptible wait means
signal delivery suffices, not just SVC_HANDSHAKE_TO expiry.

Take svc_xprt_get(xprt) immediately before tls_server_hello_x509()
so the in-flight callback owns its own reference. Release it on the
two edges where the callback is guaranteed not to fire -- submission
failure from tls_server_hello_x509() and a successful
tls_handshake_cancel() -- and at the tail of
svc_tcp_handshake_done() after complete_all().

[cel: rewrote commit message to describe the actual change]

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-72222?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-72222?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-72222 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72222 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-72222 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-72222 is a critical use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 15 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72222 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72222/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72222/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72222
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72222
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-72222

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72222/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.